US says insurers should cover cost of vaccines with no co-pay

US officials say they expect health insurance companies will cover vaccines for COVID-19 without charging copays, once those vaccines are developed and become available.

At a briefing for reporters Tuesday, a senior Trump administration official says the government has been talking with insurers about offering vaccines at no cost to patients. The industry earlier made a similar commitment to cover testing for the coronavirus without charging copays.

The White House has launched an initiative to quickly manufacture millions of doses of COVID vaccines, once the Food and Drug Administration approves one or more formulations. Candidate vaccines are in early trials, and the goal — considered ambitious — is to have 300 million doses by early next year.

Insurers generally have a strong financial interest in covering vaccines, seeing them as a win-win. Vaccination helps the insurers’ customers stay healthy, and preventing disease saves the companies money.

— AP